Method and apparatus for patient-controlled medical therapeutics

• US 7,806,852 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Phillip A. Jurson
• Original Assignee: Phillip A. Jurson
• Inventors: Jurson, Phillip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sirmons; Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schell; Laura C
• Application Number:
  US11/396,847
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 604/131, 604/67, 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604/65, 604151-155, 283/68, 283/78, 382/115, 382/124, 382/126, 340/5.8, 340/5.83
• US Class Current: 604/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1405 Patient controlled analgesia [PCA]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/609 Biometric patient identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and associated methods are provided to authenticate a patient based on a biometric identifier of the patient before a prescribed dose of medical therapeutic, such as analgesics or other medication, are dispensed to the patient. Authentication takes places by pressing a button and scanning the patient'"'"'s fingerprint and recording data corresponding to the fingerprint into memory. To receive the medical therapeutic, the patient can have his or her fingerprint read and compared to the stored fingerprint. If there is a match and the programmed limitations are met (e.g., a time interval has elapsed since the last dose), then the medical therapeutic is automatically dispensed to the patient. The system may be integrated with a new patient-controlled medical therapeutic device or the system may be added to an already existing device. Other features and advantages of the example embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A patient-controlled system for dispensing medication to a patient at times determined by the patient in an in-patient setting, comprising:

a fingerprint sensor for reading at least a portion of a fingerprint of the patient'"'"'s finger when the finger is positioned on the fingerprint sensor;

a patient activated actuation device operatively associated with the fingerprint sensor;

an encasement connected to the fingerprint sensor and the patient activated actuation device for impeding the ability for a person other than the patient to use the patient'"'"'s finger to activate the patient activated actuation device;

a microprocessor for receiving data from the fingerprint sensor, the data representing the portion of the fingerprint, and analyzing the data by comparing the fingerprint to a previously stored fingerprint to verify the patient;

a delivery device connected directly to the patient for administering a prescribed amount of the medication to the patient based on the activation of the patient activated actuation device by the patient and verification of the patient;

and a sensor for providing a signal to the microprocessor to prevent the dispensing of medication responsive to detecting that the encasement is not connected to the fingerprint sensor such that the encasement is no longer impeding the ability for a person other than the patient to use the patient'"'"'s finger to activate the patient activated actuation device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a container for holding the medication wherein the container is associated with the delivery device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the delivery device comprises an electronically controlled pump.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the medication is analgesic.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit for storing the previously stored fingerprint.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the memory unit is located at the device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the memory unit is located on a network that is accessible by the device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory unit for storing historical data related to the use of the device for said verification of the patient.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery device is configured to not administer the prescribed amount of medication when the patient is not verified.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery device is configured to not administer the prescribed amount of medication during a lockout period.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the fingerprint sensor is disposable.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the encasement is formed of a rigid material.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the encasement requires that the patient insert a substantial portion of the patient'"'"'s finger into the encasement to activate patient activated actuation device.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the encasement prevents a person other than the patient from bending the patient'"'"'s finger in the encasement to activate the patient activated actuation device.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the encasement requires that the patient bend the patient'"'"'s finger to activate the patient activated actuation device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the encasement requires that the patient bend the patient'"'"'s finger at the distal interphalangeal joint.

17. The system of claim 1 further comprising a transparent film located inside of the encasement and over the fingerprint sensor.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the transparent film is disposable.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the encasement is disposable.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient activated actuation device comprises a pushbutton.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the pushbutton comprises a pressure sensitive button.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the pressure sensitive button activates the fingerprint sensor.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the delivery device is connected to the patient to administer medication intravenously to the patient.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the encasement further comprises a stop that requires the patient to bend the patient'"'"'s finger in the encasement to activate the patient activated actuation device.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the encasement is removable from the fingerprint sensor.

26. A patient-controlled method for dispensing medication to a patient at times determined by the patient in an in-patient setting, comprising:

reading at least a portion of a fingerprint of a finger of the patient when the finger is positioned in an encasement that requires the patient to bend the finger to activate a fingerprint sensor and that impedes the ability of a person other than the patient from using a finger of the patient to activate the fingerprint sensor;

receiving a signal from an actuation device operatively associated with the fingerprint sensor when the actuation device is activated by the finger of the patient;

receiving data from the fingerprint sensor, the data representing the portion of the fingerprint, and analyzing the data by comparing the fingerprint to a previously stored fingerprint to verify the patient;

administering a prescribed amount of the medication directly through a device connected to the patient based on the receipt of the signal from the actuation device and verification of the patient; and

declining to administer the prescribed amount of medication if the encasement is not connected to the fingerprint sensor such that the encasement no longer impedes the ability of a person other than the patient from using a finger of the patient to activate the fingerprint sensor.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the actuation device is a pushbutton.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of recording the patient'"'"'s fingerprint and storing data associated with the fingerprint.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein storing the fingerprint comprises storing the data associated with the fingerprint in a memory unit that is located at the device.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein storing the fingerprint comprises storing the data associated with the fingerprint in a memory unit that is located on a network that is accessible by the device.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of storing historical data related to the use of the device for said verification of the patient.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of initiating an alert.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein the prescribed amount of the medication is administered to the patient only when the signal is received outside of a lockout period.

34. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of declining to administer the prescribed amount of medication to the patient if the patient is not verified.

35. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of declining to administer the prescribed amount of medication to the patient if the signal is received within a lockout period.

36. The method of claim 26 wherein the medication comprises analgesic.

37. The method of claim 26 wherein the step of administering a prescribed amount of medication comprises administering the medication intravenously to the patient.

38. A patient-controlled apparatus for dispensing pain medication to a patient at times determined by the patient in an in-patient setting, comprising:

a fingerprint sensor with attached encasement for reading at least a portion of a fingerprint of the patient'"'"'s finger when the finger is positioned in the attached encasement connected to the fingerprint sensor that requires that the patient bend the finger to activate the fingerprint sensor and that impedes the ability of a person other than the patient from using a finger of the patient to activate the fingerprint sensor;

a patient activated actuation device operatively associated with the fingerprint sensor;

a device for receiving data from the fingerprint sensor, the data representing the portion of the fingerprint, and analyzing the data by comparing the fingerprint to a previously stored fingerprint to verify the patient;

an electronically controlled pump for administering a prescribed amount of the pain medication intravenously to the patient upon verification and receipt of a signal from the patient activated actuation device and if outside of a programmed time interval; and

a sensor for detecting when the attached encasement is not connected to the fingerprint sensor such that the attached encasement no longer impedes the ability of a person other than the patient from using a finger of the patient to activate the fingerprint sensor, and then providing a signal to the electronically controlled pump to prevent the dispensing of medication the fingerprint sensor.